Third baseman Travis Shaw slugged the first two home runs of his major league career and had four RBIs as the Boston Red Sox overcame another shaky start from Joe Kelly in an 11-7 win over the Tampa...

Hampton man indicted for distributing child porn

BRENTWOOD — A 20-year-old Hampton man has been indicted on charges that he distributed child sex abuse images through a Facebook messenger program, according to prosecutors.

Corey Ferland, of Cogger Street, allegedly sent images of a minor engaged in sexual acts to three different people using the computer messaging program on Feb. 5, indictments say.

A grand jury charged Ferland with four counts of distribution of child sex abuse images, two counts of manufacturing child sex abuse images and two counts of possession of child sex abuse images.

He remains free on bail pending his arraignment in Rockingham County Superior Court.

Indictments do not indicate when the images were taken, but prosecutors say the person depicted in the images was born in February 1995, just a few days from their 18th birthday.

It’s unclear how the images were brought to the attention of police.

Hampton police said they arrested Ferland on Feb. 20 while executing a search warrant at his home.

Ferland was arrested for allegedly violating a protective order in addition to the child pornography charges.

Police did not elaborate what they seized from Ferland’s home, but said in a released statement they recovered images that “would constitute child sexual abuse images under New Hampshire statutes.”

The photos show the alleged victim engaged in various sexual acts, according to indictments.

A conviction for manufacture of child sexual abuse images carries a state prison sentence of up to 15 to 30 years behind bars.

Ferland could also face 10 to 20 years in state prison on each of the distribution and possession charges, according to the indictments. The investigation was led by Hampton police with assistance from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.